The Charger Issue 4 | Page 12

Academicss

What Comes Next

goals and objectives of the campaign. Next is sharing that information with members of the school community to ascertain their willingness to embrace and support these initiatives.

Two years and 15 million dollars later, the school launched the public stage of the Charging Forward campaign. Last September, over 750 people packed into the Mosack Athletic Center, where they became the first to see the renderings of what will soon be Providence Day’s campus.

To this day, Providence Day has received over 18 million dollars in financial commitments. While this is a significant amount of money, it’s only 67 percent of the school’s 27 million dollar goal. Providence Day is five million dollars in commitments away from breaking ground on this project. Once construction begins, it will likely take around 15-18 months to complete.

In a recent interview with The Charger, Head of School Dr. Glyn Cowlishaw, says he spends more than 60 percent of his week working on campaign-related materials. He is extremely excited about the “opportunity for our teachers and students to really embrace small group collaborative teaching, learning, and thinking.” Cowlishaw says the “21st century environment” of the new buildings will bring our school’s academics to a new level."

Perhaps the most forgotten part of the renovation is the space that will become available once the West Wing is removed. In recent history, the pressing issues on Providence Day’s landlocked campus have been parking and athletic space. Once the West Wing is removed, the school will have the flexibility to address those issues.

In terms of the long-term plan for that space, Cowlishaw told the Charger “everyone is vying for it.” He noted that at this point the space could be used for anything from lower school classrooms to an aquatic center. Cowlishaw emphasised the fact that those ideas were off the top of his head and that the campus master plan would be addressed upon completion of the current plans. He stressed the importance of getting input from the community before making such a big decision.

One interesting note is that the majority of the math department will be housed in the new academic building. While the Dickson-Hemby Technology Center is more than sufficient, four of the current math classrooms will be turned into science labs. Cowlishaw loves how many science classes we offer, and he believes lab space is critical to their success.

The bottom line is that two to three years from now, Providence Day’s campus will look significantly different than it does now. I can’t wait to come back and visit.

Campaign Costs

Academic Center - 10.5 million

Campus Gateway Center - 2.5 million

Parking Deck - 2 Million

Annual Fund - 6 Million

Endowment - 6 Million

Architect's rendering of the new building. Photo by: Providence Day Advancement Office.

The Charger, April '16

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